Supporting-truck for agricultural machines.



G. G. HELMKE. SUPPORTING TRUCK FOR AGRICULTURAL MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10. 1909.

949,071. Patented Feb. 15,1910.

UITE fl STATES GEORGE G. HELMKE, OF PRATT, KANSAS.

SUPPORTING-TRUCK FOR AGRICULTURAL MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 10, 1909.

Patented Feb. 15, 1910. Serial No. 527,312.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE G. HELMKE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pratt, in the county of Pratt and State of Kansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Supporting-Trucks forAgricultural Machines, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements insupporting trucks of that character which are adapted to be removablypositioned beneath the tongue of farm implements such as disk harrows,cultivators, plows etc.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a supportingtruck for such a machine which is of simple construction and is adaptedto absorb the shock or vibration which is imparted thereto by the truckwheels encountering obstacles in the line of movement.

A further object is to provide a truck frame of very simple andsubstantial construction which is adapted to receive at its forward endthe cylindrical stud of a yoke which straddles the forward truck wheel,the rear end of said frame being bifurcated or forked and having itsends secured upon the rear wheel axle, the tongue of the machine framehaving a depending tubular member secured thereto adapted to receive apivoted rod centrally carried by the truck frame.

WVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafterfully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a supporting truck constructed inaccordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of thesupporting bar, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings 5 indicates the rear, and 6 the front, wheelof the supporting truck. These wheels are arranged in horizontalalinement and to the axle 7 of the front wheel the ends of a yoke 8 aresecured. The arms of this yoke are vertically disposed and straddle thewheel, saidyoke being circularly formed as at 8 over the wheel andprovided with a vertical cylindrical stud 9. The frame of the truckcomprises a single bar 10 which is disposed at an inclination betweenthe wheels, as shown 1n Fig. 1, and has its upper end horizontallyextended and circularly formed, as

at 11. This end of the bar is provided with an opening to receive theupper end of the stud or bolt 9. The horizonal arm 12 is in tegrallyformed with the bar 10 and extends therefrom in spaced relation to itscircular end 11. The outer end of this arm is also formed with acircular plate 13 of larger diameter than the end 11, and likewise provided with a central opening, through which the stud 9 is removablypositioned. The lower or rear end of the bar 10 is bifurcated, as shownat 14, and has its extremities secured to the rear wheel axle 15.Intermediate of its ends the supporting bar is formed with the spacedears 16, in which a transverse pivot pin 17 is secured. The lower end ofa rod 18 is journaled on this pin and extends vertically upward into thetubular member 19 secured to the under side of the tongue of the machine20. This member 19 is braced and strengthened by means of the angle bar21 which is secured to the lower end thereof and to the tongue. A flangeor collar 18 is secured on the rod 18 and limits its movement into thetubular member 19.

In operation, the truck is arranged, as shown in Fig. 1, beneath thetongue 20, the rod 18 having rotative movement in the tubular member sothat the truck may be easily turned. It will be obvious that when thefront wheel 6 of the truck strikes an obstacle that the shock orvibration which would otherwise be imparted to the frame of the machineis largely absorbed by the truck frame, thus preventing the derangementof the various machine elements and materially lengthening its period ofusefulness. To the axle of the front wheel 6 the draft tongue 22 may beattached.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a supportingtruck which is particularly adapted for use in connection with harrows,cultivators and other heavy agricultural machines.

' While its construction is extremely simple the device is neverthelessdurable and highly eflicient in use.

While I have shown and described what I believe to be the preferredembodiment of my invention it will be obvious that numerous minormodifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the inven- I tion.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. In combination, truck wheels disposed in alinement with each other, ayoke straddling the front wheel having a vertical stud integrally formedtherewith, a supporting bar having an enlarged end and an arm integrallyformed therewith, the end of said bar and said arm being provided withopenings to receive said stud, the other end of said bar beingbifurcated to straddle the rear wheel and having its ends secured to theaxle thereof, a rod pivoted between the ends ofsaid bar, and a tubularmember secured to a machine frame tongue adapted to receive said rod.

2. In combination, truck wheels arranged in horizontal alinement, asupporting bar extending between said wheels, a yoke straddling thefront wheel having its arms vertically disposed and secured at theirlower ends to the axle thereof, said yoke be ing circularly formed abovethe wheel, the upper end of said bar being horizontally extended andcircularly formed, an arm integrally formed with said bar spaced fromsaid circular end, the outer end of said arm being circular in plan andadapted to be disposed upon a circular portion of said yoke, said yokehaving a vertical stud integrally formed therewith adapted to bepositioned through a central aperture in said arm and the end of thebar, the rear end of said bar being bifurcated and straddling the rearwheel having its ends secured to the axle thereof, spaced earsintegrally formed with said bar between its ends, a rod pivoted betweensaid ears, a depending tubular member secured to the under side of 'amachine frame tongue, and a brace secured to said tongue and to thelower end of said member, said member being adapted to receive saidpivoted rod.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

GEORGE G. HELMKE.

Witnesses:

O. H. BOOK, IIARRY WARREN.

